Fighting Off Winter

I won’t be the first to link the four seasons of weather to the development of ourselves as human beings. I won’t be the last. Simon and Garfunkel did it in “Hazy Shade of Winter”. John Denver made the link in his beautiful “Season’s Suite”. Even Vivaldi had his turn with “Four Seasons”. One musical group who did not do this is The Four Seasons themselves! Frankie Valli was never really that deep.

This blogpost is my attempt to make that link using my own life as it has moved through the seasonal calendar.

Spring for me was wonderful, much like spring is for most of us. Full of growth and potential. Full of color and growing warmth. Spring in my life stretched from the day I was born until I graduated from high school. I grew up in a great little town. I got a good education in that same town. My family provided love and care. It was growing up in Slatington, in my family, that allowed me to confidently sow seeds of my future in the fertile spring soil of my little part of Pennsylvania.

Summer for me was productive and filled with growth. Much like the farmers fields of Washington Township grew in corn and potatoes, I grew as a husband and father. I grew as a worker, as my career took many turns. Those turn led me into the field of psychology where I feel I am doing my best work. My summer was filled with work and play. My summer was filled with energy and production. My summer ended when I reached the age of sixty. It was then that things started to change.

Autumn set in at sixty. Just like we begin to think of harvesting and growth slowing and then ending, I began to look back at my life with regrets and with pride. I was ready to slow down, but not stop. Just like we look at the changing leaves and those beautiful colors, I could look at my life and wish it could stay this way forever. But like they reminded us in Game of Thrones, winter is coming.

I am sixty eight and enjoying my autumn. But I know things are changing again. My sleeping patterns are changing. It takes me longer to recover from aches and pains. While still healthy, it takes much more work to stay that way. The hair I have left is growing whiter! My intention is to enjoy fall as long as I can. My intention is to hike and swim and read and camp and continue to explore my spiritual side and the wonders of the world. I intend to fight off winter. I’ll be like Dylan Thomas when he said to “rage against the dying of the light”.

There you have it. The four seasons of me. Trying to stay stuck in season three. I’d love to hear how you are handling the changing seasons of your life.